


Little Acorns: Five Things That Never Happened to Summer Roberts

by Pouncer



Category: The O.C.
Genre: Alternate Universe, Other, five things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-03-22
Updated: 2004-03-22
Packaged: 2017-10-03 00:36:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pouncer/pseuds/Pouncer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A kaleidoscope of nuts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Little Acorns: Five Things That Never Happened to Summer Roberts

1\. Bitter

The music and the night air whirled in front of Seth's eyes like a kaleidoscope. He'd always denied wanting to go to any of the typical Newport parties, but in the back of his mind he had wondered what they were like. Holly's post-Fashion Show blowout was incredible, not least for his introduction to the ambrosia of the brewer's art. He loved beer. Beer was the drink of the Viking gods, after all, suitable for all occasions. Seth looked around to find his shield-maiden. Maybe he could actually talk to Summer tonight, instead of watching her obsessively.

Where was his fair one? She wasn't playing cards anymore. Had she gone inside, the night air too cold on her bare skin? So much bare skin, luscious and golden. Seth broke from his reverie with an effort. Maybe Ryan knew where she was.

He looked around the deck, wandering through the revelers as if he were wearing Harry Potter's invisibility cloak. Aha! There was his new friend, who was *good* at making new friends if the small hands just visible on his arms were evidence. Seth walked closer, not wanting to interrupt. Maybe Ryan could teach him romantic skills. Ryan moved fast, if he was already kissing a girl. He was kissing Summer. He had his hands splayed across her back, touching the skin that had tempted Seth from afar for years.

Seth felt like he had been punched in the stomach. Confidences about Tahiti, bonding over Playstation -- Ryan was willing to betray Seth for Summer's kisses? And Summer loved them, was pulling Ryan towards a deserted corner, asking how he knew "that loser Cohen."

Seth stumbled backwards, retreating into the glare of Holly's beach house. He got a glass of water from the kitchen tap and drank it fast. His buzz had disappeared. He looked around the party, which could rival Nero's Rome for lasciviousness. Why was he here with these pod people?

The night air smelled of the ocean as he walked home. His mother was outraged at the alcohol on his breath and demanded Ryan had to leave. His father agreed in the end. Seth went up to his room and lay on his bed in the dark, carefully not thinking.

A commotion outside caught his attention -- his parents had caught Ryan returning home with a very drunken Summer and a passed-out Marissa. Mr. and Mrs. Cooper had a screaming fight as Ryan stood there looking belligerent. Seth couldn't hear what his dad said to Ryan, but Summer cried until her father came to pick her up.

Seth slept late the next morning, happy that Ryan was gone when he woke up. He didn't want to say goodbye.

That afternoon, he took paint down to the beach where his catamaran was resting. He took his time, obliterating the name "Summer Breeze" with white. He walked along the shore staring out at the waves while the paint dried. With careful brushstrokes, he rechristened her "Tahiti Dream". It would just be him and his boat on the Pacific, total quiet in the middle of the ocean.

 

2\. Secret

Summer hated it when people she called didn't answer the phone right away. Her time was too valuable to waste, Cohen should answer already!

"Hello?" The voice on the other end wasn't Cohen. The maid, from the accent.

"Is Seth there?" She really hated having to admit to herself that she knew his name.

"No, he's out."

"Do you know where he is?" She had to track him down. She didn't want to, but she had to thank him. Acting as a human shield to protect her from a gun-wielding lunatic required thanks.

"He said he was going to visit Ryan at the Crab Shack."

"Oh. Thanks."

Well, she was hungry anyway. Visiting Luke in the hospital had been more wearing than her regular candy-striping duties. She could have lunch after she talked with Cohen.

***

She didn't see his curly head anywhere in the restaurant. The waiter she asked about Ryan said he was taking his break out back. Summer really hoped she hadn't missed Cohen. That would be so totally embarrassing.

The alley smelled faintly of half-rotten fish. She wrinkled her nose at the odor. And Chino wasn't out there. Idiot waiter. Summer prepared to admit defeat, then heard something behind the dumpster. A moan.

What the hell? "Oh god. Seth." Was that Chino's voice?

Her friends might not think she had any instincts for secrecy, but they were wrong. She wouldn't have survived the divorce if she hadn't gotten good at watching from concealment. If she moved very carefully, she could maneuver to a clear sight line and still have cover from those trash cans. She crept to her vantage point, then looked to where the low moans originated.

Ryan was pressed against the restaurant wall, head thrown back. His hands were buried in a curly black head just below his waist. Oh my god! That was Cohen! Mouth stretched around Chino's half-glimpsed cock, hands clenched on Ryan's hips. Fascination warred with disgust as Summer watched them. How could Cohen stand to have his knees touch the pavement? She hoped he burned those jeans when he got home or the germs would kill him.

Cohen looked really into what he was doing, and Chino was certainly enjoying it. His arm muscles stood out in stark definition, the tendons of his forearms straining. The look on his face was the hottest thing she'd ever seen.

"More. More. You can … God!" His final groan was half-strangled. His face during orgasm was delirious with ecstasy. Chino held the same expression for endless seconds, finally relaxing back against the wall, panting for air.

Cohen's face shone with power and devotion as he obeyed the tugs from Ryan's hands. He shimmied upwards, pressing into Ryan's body. She could just hear Cohen say, "So? Do you accept my apology for everything that happened with Donnie?"

Chino's smile was answer enough. He pulled Cohen into a kiss, devouring his own taste in Cohen's mouth. Good god, Chino could kiss.

Summer realized they would want to leave soon, like any minute now. They couldn't see her! While the two boys concentrated on swallowing each other's tongues, she tiptoed back out to the street. She didn't need to thank Cohen, what would he care about her gratitude?

She'd have to figure out a way to tell Marissa to forget about Chino without mentioning his penchant for back-alley blowjobs. And if Cohen tried to sniff around her again, Summer was going to let him know she wasn't into sharing. Not even with someone as hot as Chino. They could have each other. Summer Roberts knew there were plenty of other fish in the sea. Ones that didn't stink at all.

 

3\. Sweet

"Oh come on, Summer. We went to the spa last weekend. Can't we just hang out this weekend? I promise I'll provide good food." Anna tried to put a note of temptation in her voice, but wasn't sure she succeeded.

"Are you sure about this TV show?" Summer was dubious.

"You'll love it -- I promise! Hot rich men, fast cars, did I mention the hot men?" Anna felt a little guilty about the way she was describing it, but she'd been wanting to watch the DVDs since they arrived from Amazon.

"All right, you convinced me. I'll be over first thing Saturday." Summer's smile lit up her face.

***

"Come in, come in. My parents are away at some business conference this weekend, so we've got the place to ourselves." Anna led Summer into the living room, telling her to put her bag down and relax. They settled on the blue sofa after Anna got drinks and a bowl of popcorn.

"Whoa! What is up with those meteors?"

Anna glanced over to see Summer staring at the fireballs on the screen. "An essential plot point. Just wait."

Summer was an active viewer. She rocked back and forth when Lex's Porsche sailed off the bridge, although Anna thought her distress was more for the car than the character. "Oh wow. That look. . ."

Anna felt obligated to say, "Yeah, there's *tons* of subtext between the two of them."

"Subtext?" Summer was looking at Anna with a question in her eyes.

"You'll see what I mean. Just watch."

***

"Wow, Clark is *hot* when he's writhing."

Anna felt her eyes crossing. "I want to be that sauna floor so bad. It's the only redeeming scene in the episode."

***

"Does this Lana chick ever talk about anything besides her dead parents?"

Anna started to laugh and couldn't stop.

"What? What?!"

"Oh god, I'm sorry Summer. Many have made the same observation about Lana."

"She reminds me of Coop. I love the girl, but she always has to talk about herself and her boyfriends and her dad and her mom, like none of the rest of us have things to deal with."

Anna hesitated a second, then said, "Yeah, we've both had a lot to deal with. You do know I like you too much to want for Seth to come between us? We should be able to be friends and not fight over him, right?"

Summer looked wary for a minute, and Anna could tell she was thinking. Her nose was adorable scrunched up like that.

***

"No, seriously, this Godiva raspberry chocolate truffle stuff is the best ice cream ever. I got one for both of us." Anna handed over the carton and a spoon. When she took her first bite, Summer closed her eyes and gasped.

Anna licked her own spoonful, letting her taste buds explode with flavor.

***

"That's just so wrong! Clark gets to hug his parents and be all happy, and Lex has to cringe in his father's arms for the cameras! And Lex risked his life to save the students. His father is so evil." Summer's indignation matched Anna's.

"Oh yeah, his father is horrible. I mean, is it any wonder Lex ends up an evil mastermind?"

"Oh man, that makes me sad." Summer looked so bereft that Anna reached out to pull her close.

"It gets worse. We'll need to comfort each other," she said at Summer's questioning expression.

***

"Lex is hot when he boxes." Summer's voice was matter of fact.

"Lex is hot just breathing. Do you know Seth likes Clark better?"

"No way! I mean, Clark is cute and all, but he's such a boy." Summer paused for a moment, then added, "Unless he's writhing."

"I think Seth feels that if Clark can grow up into Superman that there's hope for him too."

Their giggles were only a little vindictive.

***

"His father is so mean! Shutting down the plant just to gain control over him . . . Lionel Luthor makes Julie Cooper look like a pussy cat."

"I told you we'd need to comfort each other." Anna stretched her legs out to the coffee table. "I really don't understand sometimes why Lex doesn't just walk away from his father. He's smart enough that he could succeed and thrive on his own. It'd be hard at first, but if he was his own man, how could that be worse than living under Lionel's thumb?"

Summer was looking towards the television, but Anna didn't think she was seeing it. "I don't know. Sometimes you think you need to hang on to someone, to have them take care of you. What if Lex failed? Wouldn't that be worse than staying with his dad?"

Anna thought about it for a minute. "Yeah, I can see that for Lex. He's had all these expectations put on him. For me, though, I'm making my own way. Doing my own thing."

Summer's hair hid her eyes when she looked down. "Yeah, but you're smart. You could do anything you wanted."

Anna felt outrage rising up her throat. "Summer, don't ever let anyone tell you you're not smart. You are, I can tell from when we study for class. You just need to have confidence in yourself." Her amusement at the repetition wasn't enough to overcome her sadness at Summer's insecurity.

"Do you really think so?"

"Oh yes." She forced brightness into her voice, "I also think we should get some dinner. What do you like on your pizza?"

***

They lazed together, half asleep after inhaling their pizza. Summer's ankle was soft under Anna's hand. She hummed a little bit when Anna started stroking the arch of her foot. "Oh, that's nice."

The warmth beneath her fingers captivated Anna. So did the expression on Summer's face; she looked like she was still eating Godiva ice cream. Anna leaned forwards, pulling Summer up to see her eyes. Her neck was just as soft as her ankle.

"What are you doing?" Summer's voice held a breathy note of concern.

Anna smiled slowly. "Teaching you about subtext." Summer's lips were softer than anything Anna had felt before. Her body tensed for a minute before relaxing, tongue coming out to meet Anna's. Anna shuddered when she felt Summer's hands curl into her hair.

She'll never again believe her parents when they tell her nothing good comes from watching TV.

 

4\. Hot

Summer could barely hide her giggles as she turned the light on in the deserted room. She was surprised Seth hadn't guessed when he'd picked her up to take her to the Christmas party. She had worried that the tiara in her hair and the silver cuff on her right wrist would give it away. He was sitting on the couch, looking at her expectantly. He was such a boy.

"I hear you're into comic books, Cohen." She tried to stuff her self-consciousness down deep inside.

"This is true."

Summer took a deep breath and slowly drew the zipper of her dress down, revealing her Wonder Woman costume. "Merry Christmas." She had to smile at the stunned expression on Cohen's face.

"Good lord, I think I'm going to pass out." His grin was incredulous as she looped the lasso around his torso.

"You're not going anywhere." She tugged him to her.

"Okay," he said as his hands came up to her arms. His lips tasted better than the punch Mrs. Cooper had ordered for the party. She put her hands on his chest, liking the way the dark shirt contrasted with his pale skin. Seth was so different than all the tanned beach gods she had dated before. She loved the delight he showed whenever they were together. His hands on her shoulders made her shiver.

She pushed Seth back towards the couch, pushing his jacket off his arms. She straddled his lap and went to work on his tie. He moaned when she rubbed against him. His hands were on her ass now, and his tongue pressed against her lips. He had learned a lot about kissing since she had first grabbed him at his grandfather's birthday party.

As they tangled together on the couch, Summer hoped there was a lot more they could teach each other. Seth could tell her all about comic books, she could teach him about treating a girl right. Long, long moments later, she felt sweaty and sticky and blissful. The noises of the party outside had faded while they caressed. She heard the hum of voices and the melody of some Christmas carol as her brain started working again. Seth's fingers on her side made her shiver with delight. His soft murmurs into her hair were filled with adoration. She had wanted this to be the best present ever. She hadn't known it would be just as good for her.

 

5\. Sprout

Summer Roberts liked to go off by herself the last ten minutes of lunch. She had plenty of friends to eat with, and gossip with, and make plans for sleepovers on the weekends, and all that was very fun. It was a great break from all the things she needed to learn in third grade like cursive writing and how to add and subtract. But even the allure of discussing Bonnie Bell lip smackers couldn't make her miss her alone time break of ten minutes. She took the crusts from the sandwich her mom made her over to the bench by the trees and waited. The mean squirrel always stole food from the skinny squirrel, and it made Summer mad. The skinny squirrel needed to eat too! So she made sure he could, coaxing him close to feed him bits of bread. She always walked back to class with a smile on her face, feeling good because the skinny squirrel wasn't hungry anymore.

She never told anyone what she was doing. She was too afraid her friends would make fun of her. There was a lot of mocking in Newport, poking fun at people who were different. Summer didn't want to be different, she wanted to be liked and admired.

The day was sunny and warm, and the skinny squirrel had eaten about half her bread crusts when the boy walked up to her. He looked just about as skinny as the squirrel, and he always wore weird t-shirts and blushed and mumbled in class. He was blushing now, but he sat beside her. He had a paper bag in his hand, and he pushed it towards her along the bench.

"For the squirrel," he said, carefully not looking at her.

She picked up the bag. It was full of peanuts, still in the shell. She started to smile, and looked over at the boy. His eyes darted over and she broke out into a full out grin.

"I'm Summer," she said. "Hi."

His smile was goofy but warm, and he looked as happy as if she'd just given him a banana split to eat. "Hi. I'm Seth."

"There's a trick to feeding him," she said. "You have to be patient and let him come to you."

"Will you show me?" Seth asked.

"Okay. And maybe tomorrow you can bring more peanuts?"

He nodded really fast. "I'll be here."

"The squirrel will like that." Summer didn't tell that she would too.

-end-

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the second OC Flash Fiction. harrietvane wanted either Seth/Summer or Seth/Anna and I couldn't decide, so I started to play around with Five Things permutations. The title is taken from the White Stripes song of the same name, which contains the classic lyric, "Be like the squirrel girl" -- words I think Summer would appreciate. And the TV show Anna and Summer watch is of course Smallville
> 
> Disclaimer: The O.C. and all its characters are the creation of Josh Schwartz, not me.


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